The following letter was submitted to local media:
ICBC no longer allows legal recourse in the event of a motor vehicle accident.
It is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling to read daily, stories about the horrendous pain and suffering endured by British Columbians involved in motor vehicle accidents, as well about so many people losing their life-savings and incurring insurmountable debt in order to support injured loved ones for months, years, and in some cases, for the rest of their lives following an accident.
It is clear this new ICBC-light model was not designed to help people, and its sole purpose is to find ways to save money for the corporation.
A poll is definitely needed to gauge the public’s response to having this latest “light” (no fault) version of ICBC’s coverage scrapped in its entirety and our coverage revert back to the original model.
As before, injured persons had the ability to retain legal representation and could sue for pain and suffering, among other things. That way, they and their families did not have to live without the means to pay for specialists, rehabilitation, counselling, medications, transportation, etc, which are absolutely crucial to recovery.
To expect individuals to cover these expenses is ridiculous, completely cruel and inhumane, particularly if the person or family suffering is mid- to low-income.
Reading horror stories about people suffering without aid or care from ICBC, and accident victims left to their own devices, despite suffering terrible injuries that will take them years to recover and in some cases never being able to fully recover, without financial assistance after mere months, is beyond unthinkable.
This, coupled with a chronically under-staffed health care system that is stretched to its limits, homelessness, tent cities, addiction and mental health crises, one can’t help but see how in a few short years British Columbia has declined so rapidly into something resembling a Third World country.
I’d personally much rather pay $50 more a month for my vehicle insurance, as we once did, and know British Columbians are covered sufficiently, as we once were.
There’s also the fact ICBC now tells you what your vehicle is worth when you buy a second-hand vehicle, no matter how much you actually paid for it, so it can tax you to the maximum for it.
Lastly, as happened to a close family member recently, why does it take ICBC (in a major centre) more than five weeks from the time it impounds a vehicle to the time it gets around to declaring it either repairable or unsalvageable, particularly when it was the driver’s sole transportation and is needed for his work?
A rental vehicle was provided for just three days, and after several weeks when he was finally told his truck was beyond repair, the settlement offered was so pathetically low, he could not possibly find another reliable truck anywhere near that price range.
It’s time ICBC scraps this nasty “no fault” insurance model and reverts to the original model, or else scrap ICBC altogether and bring back private insurance (for basic vehicle insurance) and do away with all this nonsense.
Cynthia Preston
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